Lighter



June 29, 1965 TOSHIO JlNNAl LIGHTER Filed April 16, 1963 INVENTOR Tosnlo ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,191,405 LIGHTER Toshio Jinnai, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Zenza Bronica Kogyo Kabnshiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan Filed Apr. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 273,524 1 (Jlaim. (Cl. 67-71) The present invention relates to a cigarette lighter, and more particularly to the ignition mechanism of a pocket lighter commonly used for cigarettes, cigars, and pipes.

Previously known ignition mechanisms have the flint supported by means of a conical spring therein, the spring being high in its compressibility, but the repulsive force of the spring being weak for lack in its pressing force. The weakness in the pressing force of the flint to the sparking wheel and the insufliciency of the ignition because of the small sparks are therefore dis-advantageous in the known ignition mechanism.

The ignition mechanism according to the present invention provides that a threaded flint-holder is supported at the bottom surface of a base plate, the flint movably deposited in the upper end of the through bore in the flint holder and urged against a sparking wheel by a small helical spring connected in compounded elastic relation with a large helical spring by means of a connecting piece, and that the lower end of the large helical spring is supported on a threaded cover.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide a cigarette lighter having an ignition mechanism to surely cause sparks by means of a suitable friction in the flint and the sparking wheel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette lighter having an ignition mechanism with two diflferent helical springs in their dimension for obtaining a composition of elastic forces by the helical springs.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein,

FIG. 1 is .a side view, partially opened, of the cigarette lighter according to the invention, .and FIG. 2 is an enlarged, vertically sectional view of the ignition mechanism thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the cigarette lighter of the present invention is designed generally as 10. Such cigarette lighter comprises an outer casing or housing 11, an inn-er casing 12 and .a finger push piece 13. The inner casing 12 provides a hollow chamber 14 to an upper wall thereof for holding an ignition mechanism therein. A base plate 15 is secured on the upper wall of inner casing 1-2 and is provided with a threaded hole 16 for supporting a cylindrical flint holder 17 having a thread on the outer surface thereof and forming a through bore 18 along the axis thereof. The flint holder 17 is extended from the hole 16 downwardly, and is fitted into a cup-shaped cover 19 having a thread on the inner surface adapted to engage with their threads. A flint 20 is movably inserted in the upper portion of the through bore 18 and is urged upwardly by two different springs in their dimensions, one of which is a helical spring 21 and the other of which is a similar helical spring 22 having a larger dimension. The upper end of said small helical spring 21 urges the bottom surface of flint 20, and the other end is connected to a cupshaped connecting piece 23 which is movably interposed in the through bore 18. The upper end of said large helical spring 22 is attached on the flange 23 of the connecting piece 23 and the lower end is contacted with the inner bottom of the cover 19. A member shown at 24 is a sparking wheel.

Changes may be made within the scope of the appended claim which defines what is believed to be new and desired to have protected by Letters Patent.

I claim:

A mechanism for perfecting ignition in a lighter having a housing and a sparking wheel rotatably journalled thereon, the improvement of,

(a) a flint holder having an axial bore therethrough adapted to slidably receive thereon a piece of flint, said holder being disposed adjacent said sparking wheel so that the flint therein engages with said wheel,

(b) said flint holder having formed thereon external threads,

(c) a cup shaped cover formed with internal threads adjustably threaded to the end of said flint holder to render said flint holder axially adjustable with respect to said cup shaped cover threaded thereto,

((1) means interposed within said flint holder and cup shaped cover threaded thereto to bias the flint in said holder toward said sparking wheel.

(e) said latter means including a pair of relatively sized coil springs connected in compound elastic relationship with respect to one another,

(f) said springs being disposed in co-axial relationship between said flint and the base of said cup shaped cover,

(g) and a connector interposed between the adjacent ends of said springs,

(h) said connector having a cup shaped body and a laterally extending flange portion movably disposed so as to be freely floating Within said bore,

(i) the body of said connector being disposed within the coil of said larger spring so that the flange portion thereof rests on the upper end of said larger coil spring and the bottom end of said larger coil spring being seated in contact with the base of said cup shaped cover,

(j) and the smaller of said springs having one end seated in the hollow of said connector and having its other end urged against said flint whereby the prestress of the compound spring urging said flint toward said wheel can be readily adjusted by relative movement between the flint holder and associated cup shaped member due to the threaded connection therebetween, and said connector floatably disposed between said springs cause said springs to effect a continuous and uniform compound elastic force on said flint.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,502,533 4/50 Quercia et al. 67-7.1 2,524,462 10/50 Miller et al. 67-7.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,128,168 8/56 France.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

